Dart game



Ju y 955 A. v. THOMPSON 2,713,490

DART GAME Filed OCT. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

July 19, 1955 A. v. THOMPSON DART G 2 sheets- 2 Filed 1952 BOARD SB TS e) 123 iZi- United States Patent DART GAME Albert V. Thompson, Brookfield, 11]. Application Qctoher 6, 1952, Serial No. 313,223

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-88) This invention relates to a new and improved dart game.

Dart or target games wherein an object is thrown or otherwise propelled at a receiving board or apparatus are, of course, very old. Usually the games are scored by the number of bulls eyes that are obtained. If the main target were not hit the score would then be based on the relative closeness of the hits to the main target. In any event the games of the past were, as a rule, limited to just straight target play.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a target like game which carries over the skill required of the straight target games and adds thereto the requirement of that skill necessary in a participant in a full size sporting event thus capturing unlimited interest by players and spectators alike.

An important object of this invention resides in the provision of a dart game which simulates play of a major sports game.

Another important object of this invention is to supply a target game which corresponds to the play of a baseball game.

Still another important object of this invention is to provide a dart receiving board having particular area designations thereon and means for illuminating portions of the board.

Another and still further important object of this in- A still further object of this invention is to supply a dart target board with illuminated portions and still have a relatively soft dart receiving material over the full playing surface thereof.

Other and further important objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the entire apparatus employed to play the dart game of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the dart receiving board of this game.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and is an enlargement thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates generally a dart receiving board against which darts are propelled in the execution of this game. A dart throwing enclosure 11 "ice corresponds to a batters box in a baseball game and a remotely positioned control station completes the apparatus for the game of this invention.

The dart receiving board is supported by spaced apart front legs 13 and 14 and a rearwardly disposed leg 15. It should be understood that the rearward leg may be removed if desired to make the board portable.

The game of this invention simulates a game which usually is played outdoors and which would be considered a major sporting event requiring great areas to play and special athletic skills for the participants. The dart game shown in the drawing and described in this specification is a baseball game although it could equally well be shown as any other sports game. A baseball diamond is outlined as at 16 on the dart receiving board 10. The diamond has many internal area designations thereon which contribute to the successful play of the game by darts. These area designations include an infield 17, an outfield 18, a raised wall 19 placed around the boundary of the outfield, a first base 20, a second base 21, a third base 22, a home plate 23, a pitchers mound 24, a right field foul line 25, and a left field foul line 26. The diamond 16 is completely enclosed by the foul lines and 26 and the included raised outfield wall 19. Additional area designations on the diamond include stolen base strips 27 and 28 located between first and second base and second and third base respectively, infield error spots 29, and outfield error spots 30. A walk strip area 31 is provided across the pitchers mound 24. Special base hit areas are also positioned on the diamond such as 33 and 34 for two base hits, 35 and 36 for three base hits, and 3'7 for home runs. Similarly outside the actual diamond on the dart receiving board there are other designated areas for various purposes which will now be described. A series of three apertures behind which are positioned lights are shown at 38, 39, and 40. These lights are located at the lower left hand corner 41 of the board 10 and are used to indicate the number of outs charged to a player in the playing of the game. A score board 42 is also placed in this corner 41 of the board 10 and is used to keep a score of the runs scored by each player or team in every inning played. Base runner light signals at 43, 44, and 45 comparable to the out lights are positioned in the lower right hand corner 46 of the board 19. Light towers 47 and 48 are positioned on the board just over the top of the right and left field walls and direct their beams of light over the cork top surface.

playing baseball diamond.

The board also includes targets in the form of players which represent the baseball players. The first baseman is shown at 49, second baseman at 50, shortstop at 1 51, third baseman at 52, left fielder at 53, center fielder at 54, and right fielder at 55.

The dart receiving board as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5 is made with a wooden back or foundation 56 on which is fastened by cement or other suitable means a As best shown in Figure 3 wherein there is shown a sectional view of one of the player targets there is provided a recess or surface opening 58 within the cork surface 57 to receive a base portion 59 of the player target. The base portion 59 substantially fills the recess 58 and is cemented or otherwise securely fastened within the recess so that it is fixed flush with the remaining cork surface 57. The player target also includes an upper portion 6% which is spaced outwardly from the dart receiving board in the manner of the player standing up in playing his position. The lower and upper parts of the player target are preferably made of some flexible material such as paperboard or fibreboard and are joined by a hinge 61 which may or may not be reinforced. The upper portion of the player as stated normally stands out from the surface of the board and when a dart strikes that portion of the player the player is pinned up against the surface of the board showing definitely that it has been squarely hit.

As best shown in Figure 4 there is an opening 62 cut in the wood back 56 and an aligned, but larger opening 63 provided in the cork surface 57. A wooden spacer or grommet like member 64 fills the space of the cork opening which is in excess of the wood back opening. The spacer 64 is provided with a central opening 65 in alignment with the wood back opening 62 and the two openings are identical to and adjacent one another. A metal box 66 is recessed within the aligned openings 62 and 65 and a peripheral flange 67 is adapted to lie over the surface of the spacer adjacent the opening 65. Oppositely disposed spacers 68 and 69 hold the second base structure 21 spaced above the surface of the dart receiving board. The base 21 which is representative of all three bases is equipped with a wooden support 70 which is surfaced with a cork covering 71 in the same manner as the main receiving board. A sheet of metal or metal foil 72 is affixed to the under surface of the wooden support 70 and in addition to rendering the device relatively fireproof it constitutes a reflector to disperse light rays around the base. A wood screw 73 holds the base proper in position over the metal light box 66 by passing through the cork, wood support, spacer 68, and thence into the grommet spacer 64 and the wooden back 56 of the dart receiving board. The wood screw has an enlarged head 74 and in order that there be a complete cork surface to receive the darts thrown thereagainst a dowel plug 75 is removably positioned thereover. The plug 75 may be of cork or other suitable material and when it is desired to remove the base for servicing the plug is removed and the screw withdrawn. Across the base there is a second screw 76 passing through the spacer 69 in the same manner as the screw 73 engages the spacer 68. The screw 76 is equipped with an enlarged head 77 which is concealed by a dowel plug 78 corresponding to the plug 75.

The metal box 66 has two openings 79 and 80 in the back thereof. Electrical bulb receiving sockets 81 and 82 are fixedly mounted in the openings 79 and 80 and each carries a light bulb 83 and 84 respectively. Electric wires 85 and 86 are the means of delivering electrical energy to the sockets 81 and 82. When the lights within the base box 66 are lit there is a discharge of light rays around the perimeter of the base by reason of the spacers 68 and 69 which space the base above or forwardly of the diamond surface. However, even though the diamond is illuminated by the perimetral light rays emerging from the box 66 there is an uninterrupted dart receiving target of cork or other suitable dart receiving material. The effect of the lateral illumination is enhanced by the light reflector material 72.

Similarly the wall 19 has its top surface covered with a layer of cork or the like 87 as best shown in Figure 5. At relatively regular spaced intervals around the entire raised wall 19 there is provided in the inner surface thereof adjacent the bottom a plurality of apertures 88. Each of the apertures defines a chamber 89 within the wall 19. Brackets 90 are fixedly mounted in each of the chambers 89 in such a manner that they might support electrical bulb sockets 91. Light bulbs 92 are mounted in the sockets 91 and when a source of electrical energy is supplied to the electrical wires 93 the entire baseball diamond is illuminated by the light rays emerging laterally from the spaced chambers 89 through the inner side wall apertures 88.

A strip covering 99 is provided over the outer side of the wall 19 adajacent the chambers 89 and is a material such as metal sheet or metal foil and is utilized to reflect light from the bulbs 92 inwardly toward the outlined diamond.

The top of the wall is provided with regularly spaced small diametered elongated apertures 100 leading down to the light chambers 89 within the wall. A red transparent sheet material 101 is placed over the inner end of each of the elongated apertures within the chambers 89 so that light rays discharged outwardly through the small diameter openings 100 will be viewed as red. It is a provision of this invention that a dart may strike anywhere on the receiving board 10 without causing damage or being damaged. The holes 100 in the wall 19 are sufficiently small so that only the pin portion of a dart may enter and are sufficiently long so that the pin of a dart may not reach to the chamber 89.

A cable 104 is adapted to carry the electrical wires for all of the various lights on the board 10 to the remote station 12. The remote station includes a floor engaging base 105, a vertically disposed pedestal 106, and a table top 107. A source of electrical energy for the entire game is delivered through a plug 108 and from there through the input wire 109 to the station 12. A plurality of electrical switches are provided on the table 107 for selectively joining the source of electrical energy with the various lights on the board 10. When the game is started a main control switch 110 on the table top 107 is thrown causing the board to be illuminated by the light towers 47 and 48, the lights within the raised wall chambers 89, and one of the pair of lights under each of the bases. The bulbs 83 are preferably a red color, or at least a color other than white and are lit by the main switch 110. In the playing of the game the red base lights and the small spaced apart red lights on the raised wall provide an attractive appearance for the board as well as add to the general illumination thereof.

Individual electrical switches 111, 112, and 113 are positioned on the table of the remote station 12 and directly and individually control the lights 84 within the base boxes. These lights are preferably white and when lit signify that a runner is on that particular base. A second series of individual electrical switches is provided at 114, 115, and 116 for actuating the lights 38, 39, and 40 to indicate the number of outs any player or team of players has charged against them.

The light towers 47 and 48 include a plurality of bulbs to effectively illuminate the playing board or field without benefit of external lights. The tower 47 as shown in Figure 2 has a series of four bulbs 117, 118, 119, and 120 and similarly the tower 48 has a series of four bulbs 121, 122, 123, and 124.

As best shown in Figure 1 the operation of the device or rather the playing of the game is accomplished by selecting two teams of players. The teams may be just one person each or may be any number of players. One player designated as stands in the throwing box 11 and propels a dart 126 toward the diamond of the dart receiving board 10. The pin 127 of the dart is adapted to strike the relatively soft dart receiving surface of the board and remain fixed therein until manually removed. The darts are of the ordinary variety and in addition to having the forwardly disposed pin are equipped with a main wooden body portion 128 and rearwardly disposed feather wings 129. A dart 130 is shown in the surface of the board 10. The portion of the receiving board upwardly of and outside the raised wall 19 is designated as area 131 which is considered out of bounds. Obviously numerous rules may be set out for the playing of this dart game simulating the play of a real baseball game or other sports event and it is not the purpose of this patent application to confine the playing of the game to a limited set of rules. It should be explained though, that in playing the game the participants are generally given three outs to an inning of play and three darts per out. The player as the one shown at 125 propels the dart at the board and attempts to strike certain of the designated areas. For example, if one of three perimetrally illuminated areas defined as bases is hit by a dart it may be construed to be a single in baseball terminology. Similarly if an error spot is hit the batter" is presumed to be safe on an error. There are sufiicient of such areas to produce all of the intricate play of a real baseball game. And, although the important factor in this game is a dart throwing skill, it is necessary for the player to be conversant with baseball practices in knowing what to do in certain situations that arise. Further the opposing team or opposing player can at certain designated times pitch to a batter. At that time the batter is struck out if the pitcher succeeds in striking home plate with a dart. Oher rules may be employed such as consideringlthe raised wall 19 as a home run area. This means that when a batter hits the top of the wall 19 the opposing team is privileged to attempt to catch the ball as it is going over the wall by throwing a dart at the wall. If the opposing team then also hits the wall the batter is out whereas if they fail to hit the wall the batter gets a home run. As a penalty for those too often attempting to get a home run on the home run area wall the rules might charge the batting team with three outs automatically in the event any one dart strikes the area 131 ouside the raised wall 19. Other phases of the rules would of necessity include the getting of extra base hits by striking certain small areas described previously for a particular number of bases as Well as the making of an out when striking any one of the player targets on the diamond. Further a runner may steal a base by striking the stolen base strip areas and then permitting the opposing team to throw the runner out by throwing a dart to the player target at the base the runner is attempting to take.

It is believed that herein is provided a game requiring multiple skills and all the competition realized in any sporting event. Various details of construction may be changed without departing from the principles disclosed herein and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dart game comprising a dart receiving board, area designations on said board including a target area,

a raised wall dividing certain area designations, light means disposed Within said wall, said wall having openings in one side thereof adjacent the target area whereby the light means discharges light rays therethrough to illuminate the target area, and said board including the top surface of said raised Wall having a relatively soft dart receiving material over the surface thereof.

2. A dart game simulating a baseball game comprising a dart receiving board, a baseball diamond outlined on said dart receiving board, a raised wall mounted on said dart receiving board, said wall surrounding the outer boundaries of the outfield portion of said diamond, and said dart receiving board and raised wall covered with a relatively soft dart receiving material, said raised wall having apertures in one side thereof, light means positioned within said raised wall adjacent said apertures whereby said diamond is illuminated through said side apertures.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said wall has spaced openings in the top thereof and said openings extending inwardly to said light means whereby the spaced openings are illuminate-d.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which said openings in the top of the wall are of relatively small diameter and elongated a greater length than the pin of a dart whereby when a dart strikes an opening in the top of the wall it cannot hit the light means Within the wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,057,677 Shaw Apr. 1, 1913 1,269,560 Simpson June 11, 1918 2,258,272 Alexander Oct. 7, 1941 2,478,134 Smith Aug. 2, 1949 2,618,484 Bishop Nov. 18, 1952 2,633,360 Fleigle Mar. 31, 1953 2,645,491 Volman July 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,104 Great Britain 1904 380,431 France Oct. 7, 1907 

